A Day Off
by Wanna Be Abby
Summary: Well you can't be chasing monsters all the time can you? The Dr 9th and Rose take a well earned breather. Mid new series 1 for timing.
1. Chapter 1

A Day Off 

"See, I told you the old girl would get us here safely," The Dr said, patting the TARDIS monitor like a faithful dog, "Oh ye of little faith!"

Rose rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Yeah, well I'm not gonna rush out there without a coat on to find out it looks like paradise, but has the temperatures of an ice planet!"

The Dr huffed and waved her towards the door.

"Fine. You go and get a sunburnt nose. See if I care. I'll be on standby with the aftersun shall I?"

Rose strode down the ramp and, with a final look over her shoulder at the Dr, cautiously opened the TARDIS door.

Sunlight and the sound of the sea washed over her and into the console room.

"Yes!" Rose punched the air, closed the door and spun round, a huge smile on her face.

"Of course, I could always go and look for that ice planet, if you thought it might be a bit hot here for you…" The Dr mused, "In fact, I know just the co-ordinates to use, give me a minute and we're there…"

He reached for levers and buttons on the console, a smile creeping across his face.

Rose ran over to him and pulled his hands back from the console.

"Not on any one of your lives!" she cried, "Give me ten minutes and we are out there! Catching

some sun, relaxing, going for a swim.."

And before the Dr could say another word she whooped and ran down the corridor to her room.

True to here word, ten minutes later, Rose was back.

She had changed out of her jeans and sweater top and into a pair of short denim shorts and a kaftan top.

Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, and she sported a pair of sunglasses perched on her head.

Over her shoulder was a large beach bag, overflowing with towels, a large novel, sunscreen and a large bottle of water.

"C'mon Dr, we haven't got all – oh," she stopped, "I thought you were getting changed too?"

The Dr stood up from his 'fine tuning' of the TARDIS, a constant work as far as he was concerned, and tucked his sonic screwdriver into his pocket.

"No need. Black covers every occasion."

"Dr, its thirty degree heat out there – you'll boil!"

"So, I'll leave my jacket off and roll up my sleeves."

"If you get sunstroke, don't come crying to me!" Rose told him as she grabbed his hand and pulled him out into the sunshine.

And onto a perfect beach. A perfectly secluded and empty beach.

Sand dunes stretched for miles behind them, and a golden beach lay before them.

A fat sun beamed down on the scene and a blue sea lapped on the shore.

"It's. Perfect!!" Rose cried, slipping on her sunglasses against the glare and clapping her hands

together.

"Glad you approve Miss Tyler" The Dr told her, grinning at her enthusiasm.

Rose released his hand and dropped her bag at his feet.

"Right, I'm off for a paddle," she said, and ran down the beach, her hair bobbing behind her as she did so.

The Dr stood watching her, the pressure of her bag resting against his leg.

Rose got to the water's edge and paused. Was this ocean cold or warm? She had had enough surprises of late to cautiously dip her toes into the water. At least, she hoped it was water. If it was any kind of corrosive acid, she wasn't going to have to buy half as much nail polish in future.

To her relief, the liquid was water and was warm. Pleasantly so.

Rose paddled and then waded out till the waves lapped at her knees.

She looked down and giggled as tiny fish swam around this new obstacle in their world.

Rose slowly turned round, wanting to beckon the Dr to come and look, see what I've found, and found he was watching her already.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, her paddling had not been entirely ladylike, more 5-year-old in a paddling pool, Rose shyly waved at the black clad figure.

He raised a languid hand back at her.

Rose waded out of the water, trying not to splash so much this time and made her way back up the beach to him.

"You coming in? The water's gorgeous."

"I don't think so."

"Sure? I think I'm going to risk a swim – unless you know something I don't?"

"No, perfectly safe for you to do the back stroke Rose, you go ahead."

"C'mon, you'll love it when you're in?"

"No, I'll just stay here, thanks."

"Can't swim?" Rose teased him, her memory calling to mind a silly advert about learning to swim

being essential to attracting the opposite sex.

She slid her sunglasses down her nose, to look at him over the rims, and leaned her weight on one hip.

"I choose not to."

"Well, if you are going to stay here, you can sit on my beach towel, but don't lose the place in my book!"

"Rose, I intend to sit here and commune with nature." The Dr told her loftily.

"Fall asleep in the sun more like!" Rose laughed, "Just like my Mum at Brighton!"

"I refute that remark, young lady! I am nothing like your Mother!"

Rose laughed even more at that, pleased she could tease him so easily.

"So, just turn around then please."

"Why?"

"Dr, you claim to be a gentleman?"

"Yeah?"

"So, turn around."

"What's that got to do with me being a gentleman?"

"I have my swimming stuff on under here, " Rose pulled at her top, "and I don't fancy stripping off in front of an audience!!"

"Oh, you don't think I'll be able to control myself?" The Doctor asked archily.

"Well, I don't know. You Timelords have got some funny habits."

"Like what, pray?"

"Well, you don't sleep like normal people.."

"If by 'normal', you mean 'human'? Because, hello, Rose – I'm not human?"

"You know what I mean. So, c'mon," she told him, rotating her fingers to indicate he should turn around, "I mean it, I'm not stripping off for you!."

She paused.

"Well, not in the open air anyway!"

This remark made the Dr spin round, and flush pink across his face to the tops of his ears.

"Thanks very much." Rose said over his shoulder.

"So, er, were you this consumed with modesty with Ricky the Idiot?" The Dr asked, peering down at his shoes.

"What?" A muffled reply from Rose.

The Dr repeated his question.

"Yes, actually. I was. Am. Was." Rose told him.

The Dr counted to twenty.

"Good Lord woman – how much are you taking off back there?!" he asked, the question troubling him more than he cared to admit.

"I'm done, and I'm decent! Count to twenty and turn round, I don't want you ogling at me till I get in the sea." Rose said tapping his shoulder.

The Dr folded his arms and did as he was told.

In Gallifreyan.

Which as it is quicker to do so in that language than in human English allowed him to see Rose before she got into the water.

He stood for a minute, his arms dropped by his side, feeling slightly voyeuristic as he watched her.

The TARDIS had chosen to find Rose a modest one piece swimsuit, light blue with one large hibiscus print on her hip. The material hugged her body only too well, highlighting her curves.

Rose obviously felt his gaze, because she glanced over her shoulder and waved at him before she ran back into the sea.

He waved back again, flushing pink as he did so.

"Sort yourself out, man!" he told himself, and to that end, pulled out a towel from Rose's bag.

This made a large and much battered paperback book fall out onto the sand.

The Dr picked it up.

"Jilly Cooper? Oh, Rose!!" he grinned at her choice of reading material, "Just as well I bought my own!"


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2 

In the water, Rose swam up and down the cove.

The small fish she had discovered swam in this planet's waters surrounded her, darting around

her submerged body and through her legs as she swam.

After a while, she turned on her back and spread her arms out, floating on the surface of the

ocean.

The sun beat down, making her drowsy.

Eventually, she decided to head back to the beach, but as soon as she made this decision,

she stopped herself, and started to tread water.

When she came into the sea, she had made sure the Dr wasn't watching.

Now she was soaked and had to make her way back up the beach, in full view of him.

This arrangement made Rose feel uncomfortable.

Normally, she was fairly comfortable with her body, okay, so she could be slimmer, but she

wasn't overweight and besides, Marilyn Monroe hadn't been a stick insect and plenty of men

still found her attractive.

No, the problem was this.

The Dr has seen her in jeans, and t-shirts with a sweater thrown on top, even when she wore

that denim mini in Wales she had worn long boots and thick warm tights against the cold.

The most glammed up he had ever seen her was during that visit to 18 something or other

when they battled with the Geldf.

Which is when he told her she looked beautiful.

For a human.

Typical man, backhand a compliment the second he'd paid you it in the first place!

"Oh, this is ridiculous!" she muttered, "He doesn't see you like that!"

Which bought another question that had been forcing itself to the front of her mind on a regular

basis since, well, since they'd met to be honest.

How did the Dr see her?

As a stupid ape?

As a travelling companion?

As a friend?

As an equal?

As a woman?


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3 

Sitting on the beach, the Dr was having trouble concentrating on his book.

Rose's Jilly Cooper seemed to nudge him and whisper 'read me! Go on, I won't tell...' in an

alluring wheedle.

He carefully closed his book - an erudite work on the life and works of a Gallifryean

Psychoanalyst - and sneaked Rose's novel from her bag.

The book fell open, and the Dr prepared himself for banal writing, and pointless frivolity.

His eye caught a word, which developed into a sentence, then a paragraph, and soon he was

turning page after page, engrossed in the so-called plot.

"Phew!" he muttered under his breath as he re-read a particularly steamy scene, the tips of his

ears blushing, "Blatant or what?!"

A shadow suddenly fell across him.

It was Rose.

"Blatant but just about physically possible I think you'll find."

The Dr hurriedly slammed the book shut and held it out to her.

"Miss Rose Tyler! You are far too young to be reading material like this!" he said, trying to mask

his embarrassment of being caught with said reading material by waggling a theatrical forefinger

at her, "Shame on you! What would Jackie say?"

"Give it back if you don't like it."

"Pardon?!"

"Dr, my Mum bought the book for me?" Rose told him, taking the book and tucking it back in the

bag, "If you want to borrow it, just ask, okay?"

"It's not my taste in literature," The Dr replied loftily.

"Oh, don't worry, the sex scenes are already well thumbed." Rose told him lightly.

The Dr's eyebrows shot up in amazement, and a flush spread across his face.

"Oh yeah," Rose was saying, "Shareen, my best mate, and me, well, we wanted to know what

to expect, didn't we.."

And so saying, she pulled her hair out of the ponytail she'd put it up in for swimming and started

to rub it dry with another towel from her bag.

"And don't look at me like that!" she told him to his still astonished and bemused face, "I bet you

did the same at some point!"

He sat up, still flushed with feelings he refused to deal with right now, "I, er, I did, well, not

exactly - actually no! I did no such thing!" he blustered, completely unconvincingly.

"Yeah, right. What? Didn't you Timelords ever have time to have a love life?" Rose knelt down

to pull the towel out from under him, and to wrap it round herself, glad she could now breath out

a bit more beneath it's covering.

"Oh, we're a terribly hush-hush people about that..." the Dr started, his voice tailing off as he

watched Rose pull a brush through her hair, "It was never considered, well, a suitable subject

for discussion. Normally. In polite company."

Rose grinned at him...


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4 

Rose grinned.

"Just as well, you never heard Shareen and me then - it was all we ever talked about!"

She stood up, squinting at the sun. A breeze sprung up, chilling the air all of a sudden.

"Brrr!" she shivered involuntarily, "Right, I'm off back to the TARDIS to get changed. Okay?"

"You want me to give you a hand?" the Dr winked at her, grinning even more when he saw the

blush cross Rose's face at the thought.

"You know, I think I might just be able to manage by myself thanks! What would my Mum say?"

"Your Mother? Knock me for six probably. And then go and put the kettle on."

"Good idea," Rose told him, "Mine's white, one sugar please!" and, gathering her bag and

clothes together, she strode back to the TARDIS.

The Dr sat for a while, watching the ocean and enjoying just 'being', his learned work stranded

beside him on the sand. Eventually he stood up, stretched and dusted the sand from his

clothes. He tucked the book in his pocket and sauntered back to the TARDIS.

He entered his ship to find it almost pitch black.

"Oh, not the subdivisional retrospective light engines again" he moaned as he walked up the

ramp, and then stopped dead.

Tiny multicoloured lights were wound round the console handrail and several large floor

cushions had been arranged on the floor.

He turned as he heard the door to the rest of the ship open and saw Rose approaching him,

tray in hands.

"There you are. I thought you'd fallen asleep out there!" As she stepped into the muted light, the

Dr struggled not to gape.

"Are you alright? Dr? I made you some tea, 'cause I figured I might as well, seeing as you were

sunning yourself," she paused, looking down at the tray, "And I even managed to find some

biscuits you'd missed - want one?"

The Dr shook his head to bring himself out of a reverie, "Er, yeah, thanks. Great. You look, um,

nice, Rose."

And she did. The TARDIS had decided to offer her the chance of a late 1950's dress in soft

blue, with wide shoulder straps, and a skirt that feel in soft pleats to her knee. Rose had pulled

her hair back in a clip, leaving some to frame her face at the sides.

"Thanks." Feeling awkward, she put the tray down and bought the Dr his large mug of tea. "I

see you've caught the sun. You'll be wanting some of my aloe vera otherwise you'll start to

peel."

The Dr took the proffered mug with one hand and reached to touch his face with the other.

"Where?"

Rose stepped forward, closer to him.

"Here," she said her fingers brushing his forehead, "here," softly touching his cheeks, " and

definitely, here." she finished, her fingers gently tapping his nose.

They stood in silence for a moment, Rose looking up at him, the Dr almost hypnotised by the

feeling of her soft fingers on his face and the smell of her newly washed hair.

Rose blinked, blushed and stepped back. "Is it still warm out there?"

"Er, yeah, it is, why?" "Great. C'mon finish your tea and we'll go out again."

"Why?"

"Well, this dress isn't the only thing the TARDIS found for me." she said, disappearing behind

the console and emerging again with a large diamond shaped kite.

The Dr put his tea down to balance precariously on the console and took the kite from her.

"Fantastic! I thought I'd lost this! Where did you find it?"

"It fell out of my wardrobe. I am always finding stuff in there, things I know I didn't bring with

me."

"Seems the TARDIS wanted you to find this then. C'mon Miss Tyler, lets go fly a kite!"

"You are such a big kid!"

"Look whose talking!"

"Oi!" Rose ran down the ramp after him and back onto the beach.


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5 

The Dr proved to be an expert kite flyer, making it swoop and soar in the sky.

He even chased Rose down the beach with it, always just keeping it behind her so it never quite

caught up with her.

She jogged back to him, breathless and flushed with her exersions.

She sat down heavily on the sand, folding her legs beneath her.

"Worn out, Rose?"

"Just, got, to, catch, my, breath," she puffed, breathing heavily and fanning herself with her hand.

"C'mon, then, your turn." the Dr told her, swapping both handles of the kite into one hand and

extending his free hand to help Rose to her feet.

Rose reached up and he pulled her up.

The Dr then passed one handle to her, and the kite wobbled high in the sky.

"Now, steady," he told her, his eye on the kite far above them.

Rose carefully took the other handle from him stood stiff and still.

"Rose, you need to relax," the Dr told her, "Look, bend your knees and arms?"

Rose did so, but too quickly, and her jerky movements caused the kite to twist and plunge down.

"Woah!" Rose threw both of her arms way above her head and stepped back in panic.

The Dr stepped behind her and started to guide her arms, making the kite swoop up again, safe

from a ditched landing.

It danced across the sky, Rose and the Dr playing with the wind and the line.

Rose felt comfortable, safe, with the Dr at her back, guiding her arms and hands.

After a little while of this, she became aware he was humming quietly. She tried to place the tune,

but couldn't.

"What are you trying to hum?" she asked him.

"Pardon?"

"That tune you are murdering! What is it?"

"Rose Tyler," the Dr said in her ear, making her shiver, "your musical education is sadly lacking!"

"Listen," she told him, "if you lived with my Mum? It was dodgy old stuff like Abba and some band

called a bunch of, er, some kind of bird!"

"Flock of Seagulls! Brilliant!" the Dr leant back as he laughed, "I couldn't believe they fell for that bet

with the hair!"

"Eh?"

"Oh, never mind, I'll show you the pictures one day if you ask nicely," the Dr told her, "Come on, one

more turn and we'd better head back."

"Spoilsport! Just as I was getting the hang of it too!"

The Dr reluctantly stepped back from her and spread his arms wide.

"All yours then..."

Rose pulled the lines of the kite, making it climb higher on the wind.

Then, with a look of serious concentration and the tip of her tongue ever so slightly sticking out of

the side of her mouth, she steered the kite in a passable turn and swooped it back to land on the

beach.

The Dr clapped his approval, and Rose turned to mock curtsy to him. They both laughed and

walked to the kite, both taking a line to wind in as they did.

"Not just a pretty face then, Dr?"

"Oh, I've never thought that.." he replied.

Rose gathered up the kite and then shivered, rubbing her bare arms against the Goosebumps on

her skin.

"And again, Brrr! Time to head back before I freeze!"

The Dr shrugged is jacket off and put it on her shoulders.

"Here, give me the kite."

"Thanks." Rose pushed her arms into the sleeves, though her hands barely reached the ends, her

fingers only just touching the cuffs.

They walked back to the TARDIS, the sun setting on the horizon.


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6 

Rose paused as they reached the ship, shading her eyes again and squinting as the sun

Seemingly sunk into the ocean.

"Wow. That is so beautiful," she said quietly.

"Seen one sunset, seen them all," The Dr said dismissively.

Rose slapped his playfully on the arm. "You've not got a romantic bone in your body have

you?!"

"Hey! Who lent whom whose jacket? When who was cold?"

Rose closed her eyes and waved her fingers from side to side as she tried to work out just

What he'd said.

"Ah! No!" she said when she had, "That isn't strictly 'romantic', that's, what's it? Chivalry!"

The Dr humphed and opened the TARDIS door. "I bet Ricky the Idiot didn't do romantic. Or

Chivalry!"

Rose sighed and rolled her eyes. "And you don't do 'domestic'!"

"Too right!" the Dr said, grinning at her, and held the door open for her, "Now, don't stand there

Shivering and all goosebumpy woman, go and stick your jeans on."

Rose stopped in the doorway, and looked up at him, looking upset.

"Don't you like this?" she asked, holding out her skirt.

"Well, yeah, I guess, I mean, I suppose so.." the Dr tailed off.

"You 'suppose so'?! Well, this is the last time I make the effort for you!" she said and marched

up the ramp, through the console room and down the corridor to her room.

"Rose! Rose! I didn't mean it like that!" the Dr called after her as she did, but she didn't check

her stride.

The door slammed behind her and the TARDIS lights dimmed.

"Oh, don't you start!" The Dr told his ship, "Don't you start getting in touch with your feminine

side! What was I supposed to say?!"

In answer, the TARDIS lights dimmed again, leaving him standing in pitch darkness. Alone.

"Great. Marvellous. Fantastic." he said to himself. "First I upset Rose and now my own Ship is

in high dudgeon with me!"


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7 

"Bloody man!" Rose fumed as she slammed her room door behind her and tugged the dress

over her head.

"Bloody ungrateful, unreasonable, unobservant man!"

The blue dress landed in her laundry basket.

Rose headed into the shower and tied her hair up so it wouldn't get wet again.

"He knows how to ruin a really good day!" she said.

The TARDIS lights dipped and rose again as if in agreement with her.

The water pounded down on her shoulders, easing the tautness in her muscles.

Rose felt slightly less aggrieved as she stepped out of the shower and dried herself off. She

sat in front of her mirror, brushing her hair out, and then applying her mascara.

The TARDIS sensed she needed a lift, and produced another clean pair of jeans and one of

her favourite t-shirts from her wardrobe.

"Thanks," Rose said, and patted the wall closest to her.

The Dr had told her soon after she started to travel with him that the TARDIS was empathic

with her travellers. Rose had started to talk to the ship soon after that, to thank it for small

kindness', like never having to search for that stray sock, and waking her in time for

breakfast.

Occasionally, as now, she patted the ship's walls. Okay, so it wasn't a large dog but the ship

seemed to appreciate these gestures, and emitted a low, satisfied hum in response, like a cat

purring.

Rose smiled at this response and opening her door, decided a long walk would help calm her

annoyances.

She had long ago given up trying to work out how big the TARDIS was, not least because

corridors changed on an irregular basis, and the same door seldom opened to the same

room two days in a row.

The only constants were the console room, her bedroom and the kitchen.

Try as she might, Rose still hadn't tracked a bedroom down for the Dr. She knew he rarely

needed sleep, somehow Timelords only needed to catnap in her experience. She

remembered her Gran saying that as she got older, she needed less sleep - and she was

only 80! The Dr had told Rose he was 900 years old - did that mean he got by on an hour a

week or something?

The thought of the Dr in pyjamas and dressing gown made Rose giggle, knowing him it would

all be black anyway! The next image that popped unbidden into her head was of him in a long

disbanded rock group t-shirt and baggy pyjama bottoms, and she pushed to the back of her

mind, blushing as she did so.

Rose forced herself to concentrate on the doors in the corridor, where had she got to now?

A stripped pine kitchen door was to her left, a bright red front door, complete with a brass

knocker on her right.

Up ahead a purple door, looking like it was covered in fur caught her eye.

Rose reached it and stretched her fingers out to find that, yes, it was a door covered in purple

fur.

She stroked it, unable to resist finding out what it felt like.


	8. Chapter 8

Part 8 

Back in the control room, the Dr was once again 'fine tuning' the main console.

The ship was still obviously annoyed with him, and he lay on his back, potholer's light strapped

to his head, sonic screwdriver in his hand.

The TARDIS lights dipped and dimmed, making it look like the ship was breathing in and out

gently in it's sleep.

The Dr turned onto his stomach and reached deeper under the console, humming

subconsciously.

After a few minutes of this off key amusement, he heard the same some echoing from the

console itself.

"A day of strange desires and a night that felt like fire," he sang to himself, 'take me back to the

place that I love, on the beach.."

The TARDIS made a low groaning sound.

"Everyone's a critic!" he said, pulling out a handful of loose wires. He stood up, unfolding his

lanky frame from under the console, and looked at the wires in his hand.

Had they been loose in the first place? Why had he just removed them? He thought for a

moment, his forehead creasing as he did so.

Then he shrugged expressively and tossed them over his shoulder.

Tapping at a few random buttons on the console, a monitor flickered to life.

"C'mon then, where are you?" he asked the screen, which only showed empty corridors, "Rose,

where have you gone now?"


	9. Chapter 9

Part 9 

Rose was thoroughly enjoying herself, thanks very much.

She has stepped into the room and been gently lifted up to float in the air.

At first, this had freaked her out completely and she had flailed her arms and legs, seeking

purchase on surfaces she couldn't quite reach.

Then she realised she wasn't in any danger, and the room started to play music.

Rose found that by twisting her body, she could dance quite easily and safely.

She also found she could turn anyway she liked, even upside down without the blood rushing to

her head.

"Brilliant!" she cried, and performed a spin in mid-air that any ice skater would have given their

Olympic Medal to perform.

The room was white when she first stepped in but now the walls changed colours in time to the

music.

Which was another very cool thing about this room.

Rose only had to think 'It'd be great to hear' and as soon as one track finished, the track she had

been thinking about started.

She twisted and dived, spinning high up and swooping just like the kite on the beach, giggling

and laughing till she came to a hovering stop, gasping for breath after her exertions.

Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she realised she was actually hanging upside down.

Righting herself, she said "Thank you! But, can I get down now? Please?"

The room colours faded to a gentle white and she started to descend.

Rose had just felt her toes touch the floor, when she had an idea.

This room can't only have been used by her – the Doctor must use it too?

Surely? I mean, he was always humming something, usually off key and completely

unrecognisable to Rose.

This was her chance to find out what kind of thing he liked to listen to, though the thought of him

dancing in here made her stifle a giggle.

On the other hand, would it be like rifling through his diary or mobile phone looking at personal

texts?

Rose thought for a moment.

No, she decided, no, it was only like flicking through a friend's CD collection, or seeing what they

have on their MP3 player.

Her conscience salved, she took a deep breath.

"Er, room?"

The light dimmed and rose again as if to answer. "Yes?"

"Can I hear something the Dr's been listening to, please?"

The lights dimmed again, "Anything in particular?" 

"I dunno. Something recent – but a definite favourite. Please." She asked.

She found herself rising slowly into the air and deposited on a high shelf that appeared out of a

wall.

Rose clambered on and found a square purple and black cushion on the shelf, just right for her to

sit on.

She settled herself down, one leg folded under her, the other dangling off her eerie perch into the

air.

The room lights dipped "Ready?"

"Yeah, I guess so. "

The lights dimmed and small flames appeared, making it look like candles were floating in the

room.

The sound of waves crashing started, softly then more pronounced, and a solitary acoustic guitar

was strummed.

A single man's voice started to sing, quietly, like a man singing in the dark, just to himself.

And he sang:

"No matter where I roam 

I will come back to my English rose 

For no bonds can ever tempt me from she

I've sailed the seven seas, 

Flown the whole blue sky. 

But I've returned with haste

To where my Love does lie

No matter where I go

I will come back to my English rose 

For nothing can ever tempt me from she

I've searched the secret mists – 

I've climbed the highest peaks 

Caught the wild wind home 

To hear her soft voice speak

No matter where I roam 

I will return to my English rose 

For no bonds can ever keep me from she 

I've been to ancient worlds 

I've scoured the whole universe 

And caught the first train home 

To be at her side

No matter where I roam 

I will return to my English rose 

For no bonds can ever keep me from she"

The single guitar picked a few chords out and faded with a final strum.

Rose sat for a moment, a thousand thoughts flying through her mind.

The room lights started to rise and she stood up, acting on automatic pilot as she was lifted up

and gently started to descend.

Still not sure what to think, or feel, Rose stretched her arms out, feeling the warm air around her.

And just as her toes touched the floor, she realised she wasn't alone.


	10. Chapter 10

Part 10 

Turning to where the door was now ajar, Rose saw the Dr standing there, hands shoved in pockets,

sheepish expression on his lugubrious face.

"Rose."

"Dr."

"So you finally found this room then." 

"Yeah. Yeah. I did."

"What do you think?"

"To what?" Rose asked, too quickly, and putting her own hands in the back pockets of her jeans.

"The room, Rose."

"Oh! Great. Yeah, really great. Clever." 

"Clever?"

"How it knows what you'd like to hear. Is it, I mean, is it all linked up to my brain?"

"Yes, the TARDIS is linked to all her passenger's thoughts. And feelings." The Dr said, waving a

hand about the room and looking up at the ceiling.

"Feelings?"

"Well, the old girl can be a bit temperamental, but she's more empathic with some people than she

is with others." 

"Oh." Rose felt there really wasn't much she could say to this.

An uneasy silence arose between them.

"Rose?" The Dr said suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"You know what for."

"No, I don't… Ah." Rose shrugged and tilted her head to one side, "The dress. Don't worry, it's

nothing really, just me being stupid."

"No, it's not okay. And you are never stupid."

"Okay, so immature then. C'mon, you've got, what? 821 years on me – right?" Rose joked with him.

"I should have told you you looked nice. More than nice. Lovely." The Dr looked imploringly at her,

as if seeking forgiveness.

Rose smiled at him and walked up to him.

"Thanks."

"I mean it, really."

"I know you do."

"And I'm still sorry. For ruining a good day. A really good day."

Rose shook her head at him.

"Dr, it's fine. I had a great day." She grinned at him, "I got to muck about on a perfect beach, swim

in a perfect sea and share it with you. No monsters, no scary situations, no explosions, and no

threat of imminent death."

This made him smile back at her, taking the worried expression off his face and putting the light

back in his eyes.

"Sure it wasn't too boring then?" 

"No! I can take a few days like today. Skipping the stupid moody bit, but other than that, yep, sign

me up for a few more of these."

"And what about the monsters, scary situations, explosions and threats of imminent death?"

Rose smiled and took his arm, leading him out of the room and down the corridor.

"Oh, well, we wouldn't really need days off if we didn't have them, now would we?"

The Dr smiled at her and nudged her with his arm, enjoying feeling the weight of her as they walked

down the corridor.

"So, tea?"

"Yeah. Oh, I suppose it's my turn again is it?"

"White, two sugars please!"

"Honestly! I didn't sign on to be the tea lady you know! You promised me adventure in the far flung

corners of the universe!"

"And we will! But I'd kill for a cuppa first. And a chocolate biscuit if there's any going?" The Dr

raised a quizzical eyebrow.

Rose theatrically rolled an eye at him.

"Oh, go on then. 'Cause it's you." She reluctantly released her arm from his and set off for the

kitchen. She stepped back, turned and then changed her mind.

"Dr?"

"Yes, Rose?"

She stepped back to him.

"Thanks for a great day." She blushed and said uncertainly, "And a lovely song."

And she stepped on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

The Dr was at first surprised and then closed his eyes as he leant against the pressure of her hands

leaning on his chest and her lips on his skin.

"You're welcome. Thank you too." He said softly.

Rose stood back on the floor, tucked her hair behind her ears and set off down the corridor, a spring

in her step and a smile on her face.

Just as she turned around a bend in the corridor she looked back over her shoulder at the Dr, who

was still where she had left him, smiling right back at her.

Rose blushed again and disappeared round the corner.

The Dr stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets and started to sing to himself as he walked back to

the console room for some more fine tuning.

"No matter where I roam, I will return to my English Rose, for no bonds can ever tempt me from

she.."


End file.
